Sam Butler served in the Royal Engineers for seven years, finishing his career in 2022 as Captain. He spent time as a Troop Commander and was involved in construction in the Falkland Islands, thereafter as a Squadron Ops Officer preparing his squadron for readiness. Sam then stepped up to Squadron 2IC overseeing all aspects of his squadron’s career management. Sam finished his service as the Regimental Ops Officer for 1 RSME Regiment.
A typical day during service was informing and coordinating the training which was delivered for 2000 trainees per year. Sam also oversaw and executed all the main Corps and Regimental events, as well as overseeing construction projects. The key skills Sam gained during his military career were:
Sam’s current role is Project Manager (Consultant) for Mace which was gained through BuildForce and friend referral. He is working as a Client Rep, which includes networking events across the company and overseeing projects rather than being directly involved. A typical day is spent reading and collating information from reports and scrutinising contractor’s claims. Key transferrable skills for Sam in his new role are planning considerations – “second and third order effects”, creating influence, key skills and experience and speaking to people from all walks of life.
Whilst transitioning to “civvy street”, Sam found the OA and BuildForce invaluable, particularly the discussions set up by BuildForce with veterans who had already transitioned. However, some of the challenges Sam faced during his transition were not knowing how his skills would transition, especially with civilian terminology; being unsure of how contracts work with civilian employers and expectations on you and them, not knowing at what level to pitch himself, not knowing what skills/ qualifications would help the most and finally navigating salary expectations and work-life balance.
Sam secured a visit to Mace which was incredibly useful and he compares this to a Regimental familiarisation visit pre-RMAS/during RMAS. During this visit, he spoke to military leavers at various stages of their career, they discussed their experience and had a look at civilian life. Sam thinks more of these visits would have been useful.
The main advice Sam would give to someone who is leaving the Armed Forces and seeking a new career in construction would be:
“Don’t panic; BuildForce will guide you through the process, follow it, and it will all fall into place. Also, as soon as you have finished your CV, submit it and you will get initial interviews.”
The three words Sam would use to describe a career in the construction industry would be:
Everchanging. Fun (particularly if you enjoy problem solving). Challenging.